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Post by elsie on Dec 24, 2021 21:45:41 GMT -6
Does anyone know what the lowest score in BOA history is that isn’t because of penalties?
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Post by dbalash on Dec 25, 2021 0:34:43 GMT -6
Does anyone know what the lowest score in BOA history is that isn’t because of penalties? I would say it's probably gotta be pretty close to Tri-County, IN at the 1991 Indianapolis regional: 35.25 (34.75 with the penalty.) As for Nationals, it's probably the 39.80 (37.80) Athens, MI popped in 1987.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 25, 2021 6:56:16 GMT -6
I think dbalash has listed the lowest post 1984. We dont have all of the recap sheets prior to 1985. I suspect that there were lower scores in the late 70s/early80s just based on how stringent the scoring was then. There was a long standing rumor that a band scored under 20 points at the 1980 Moscow ID regional. According to the rumor, one of the horn players actually said to a field judge in the middle of their show "this is really bad isn't it?" Those recap sheets are lost to history. So this will probably remain one of those rumors never able to be proven true or debunked.
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Post by supersound on Dec 25, 2021 22:02:20 GMT -6
I think dbalash has listed the lowest post 1984. We dont have all of the recap sheets prior to 1985. I suspect that there were lower scores in the late 70s/early80s just based on how stringent the scoring was then. There was a long standing rumor that a band scored under 20 points at the 1980 Moscow ID regional. According to the rumor, one of the horn players actually said to a field judge in the middle of their show "this is really bad isn't it?" Those recap sheets are lost to history. So this will probably remain one of those rumors never able to be proven true or debunked. I’ve always thought this rumor to be true to be honest. It seems like something that could realistically happen.
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Post by supersound on Dec 25, 2021 22:02:56 GMT -6
Speaking of which have there ever been any successful attempts to “recover” score sheets or recordings that were considered lost to time?
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 26, 2021 7:35:48 GMT -6
Speaking of which have there ever been any successful attempts to “recover” score sheets or recordings that were considered lost to time? Absolutely. One of our Forums members has spent many years digging through old archives, news clippings, even contacting band programs of years past. Most of what we know prior to 1985 are from his efforts. As far as I know, most of the archive data is complete, with the exception of 1976 Grand National Finals recap sheets and several of the BOA regionals from 1980 and 1983. There was obviously not as great an effort to archive this data from the Marching Bands of America years. Most of those recaps were also hand written and not able to be stored electronically.
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Post by dbalash on Dec 27, 2021 18:01:39 GMT -6
Does anyone know what the lowest score in BOA history is that isn’t because of penalties? I would say it's probably gotta be pretty close to Tri-County, IN at the 1991 Indianapolis regional: 35.25 (34.75 with the penalty.) As for Nationals, it's probably the 39.80 (37.80) Athens, MI popped in 1987. Because I have nothing better to do while procrastinating on finishing bank reconciliations and the wife being COVID positive, here's the lowest score each year since 1985: 1985: Regionals: The Dalles, WA - 36.55, 35.55 after 1.0 penalty at Moscow, ID regional Grand Nationals: Roncalli, IN - 48.85, 48.05 after .8 penalty, 6.55 behind next to last. 1986: Regionals: Williamette, OR - 42.15 at Corvallis, OR regional Grand Nationals: Tecumseh, OH - 50.75 1987: Regionals: Iaeger, WV - 40.05 at the Morgantown, WV regional Grand Nationals: Athens, MI - 39.80, 37.80 after 2.0 penalty 1988:Regionals: Hall, IL - 53.55 at the Normal, IL regional Grand Nationals: Wilmot, WI - 53.80, 53.70 after 0.1 penalty 1989: Regionals: Trinity, PA - 55.05 at the Morgantown, WV regional Grand Nationals: Wilmot, WI - 50.15 1990: Regionals: Franklin, IN - 49.65 at the Bloomington, IN regional Grand Nationals: Allegan, MI - 45.20 1991:Regionals: Tri-County, IN - 35.25, 34.75 after 0.5 penalty at Indianapolis, IN regional Grand Nationals: 43.70 - Burlington (no idea on state) 1992: Regionals: Rising Sun, IN - 41.20, 40.70 after 0.5 penalty (Monticello, IL would be last without penalty.) at the Indianapolis, IN regional Grand Nationals: Tri-County, IN - 59.10, 58.10 after 1.0 penalty 1993: Regionals: Carmel, IN - -5, -4 after 1.0 penalty, Pendleton Heights, IN - 47.85, both at Indianapolis, IN regional Grand Nationals: Newport (no idea what state) - 53.40, 53.20 after 0.2 penalty 1994: Regionals: Sullivan, IL - 37.35 at the Indianapolis, IN regional. Grand Nationals: Olympia, IL - 51.10 1995: Regionals: Woodhaven, MI - 45.35, 45.05 after 0.3 penalty at Toledo, OH regional Grand Nationals: Holdrege, NE - 46.60, 46.40 after 0.2 penalty 1996: Regionals: Antelope Valley, CA - 36.25 at the Torrance, CA regional Grand Nationals: Glen Este, OH - 50.95, 50.25 after 0.7 penalty 1997:Regionals: Western Brown, OH - 42.25, 41.95 after 0.3 penalty at the Toledo, OH regional Grand Nationals: Western Brown, OH - 52.75 1998:Regionals: South Putnam, IN - 41.15, 40.15 after 1.0 penalty at Cincinnati, OH regional Grand Nationals: Rowan County, KY - 54.50 1999:Regionals: George West, TX - 43.10, 42.80 after 0.3 penalty at San Antonio, TX regional Grand Nationals: Chaminade-Julienne, OH - 51.35 2000:Regionals: Mater Dei, IN - 43.80 at Louisville, KY Grand Nationals: Chaminade-Julienne, OH & Buckeye, OH - 49.45 2001: Regionals: Trinity, PA - 44.30 at Johnson City, TN Grand Nationals: Paul Harding, IN - 42.80, 41.10 after 1.70 penalty 2002:Regionals: Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior, FL - 39.65 at Daytona Beach, FL Grand Nationals: Olympia, IL - 49.55, 49.15 after 0.4 penalty 2003: Regionals: Fenton, MI - 45.85 at Pontiac, MI regional Grand Nationals: Clinton-Massie, OH - 51.15 2004:Regionals: Santa Maria, TX - 41.60, 41.30 after 0.3 penalty at La Joya, TX regional Grand Nationals: Clinton-Massie, OH - 50.70 2005:Regionals: Phoenix Christian, AZ - 45.30 at Flagstaff, AZ regional Grand Nationals: Federal Hocking, OH - 51.15 2006: Regionals: Winnsboro, TX - 49.65 at Arlington, TX regional Grand Nationals: Western Brown, OH - 51.50 2007: Regionals: Columbus, TX - 47.70 at Houston, TX regional Grand Nationals: Edgewood, OH - 52.65, 52.55 with 0.1 penalty 2008: Regionals: Richland Northeast, SC - 49.50, 49.25 with 0.25 penalty at Atlanta, GA Super Regional. Grand Nationals: Northside, AL - 54.35 2009: Regionals: Salem Community, IL - 50.50 at St. Louis, MO Super Regional Grand Nationals: Atherton, MI - 54.75 2010: Regionals: Comeaux, LA - 47.70 at Woodlands, TX regional Grand Nationals: Broad Ripple Magnet, IN - 44.05 2011:Regionals: Unitah, UT - 45.00 at the St. George, UT regional Grand Nationals: East Clinton, OH - 51.05, 50.65 after 0.4 penalty 2012: Regionals: Harbor Creek, PA - 49.80 at the Monroeville, PA regional Grand Nationals: Ada, OH - 53.20 2013: Regionals: Deer Lakes, PA - 49.90 at the Monroeville, PA regional Grand Nationals: Southern, OH - 48.90 2014:Regionals: Sabino, AZ - 50.05 at the Long Beach, CA regional Grand Nationals: Western Brown, OH - 51.15 2015:Regionals: Paulding County, GA - 48.30 at the Powder Springs, GA regional Grand Nationals: Southwestern, IN - 52.15 2016:Regionals: St. Edward, OH - 49.30 at the Monroeville, PA regional Grand Nationals: Southwestern, IN - 48.05 2017:Regionals: Laquey, MO - 43.175 at the St. Louis, MO Super Regional Grand Nationals: St. James School, AL - 54.25 2018:Regionals: Estacado Early College, TX - 47.900, 45.300 after a 2.6 penalty at the Midland, TX regional Grand Nationals: Laquey, MO - 52.70 2019:Regionals: Mountain Pointe, AZ - 49.70 at the Flagstaff, AZ regional Grand Nationals: Bishop Fenwick, OH - 52.80 2021:Regionals: Mark Twain, MO - 47.20 at the St. Louis Super Regional Grand Nationals: Mark Twain, MO - 51.80
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Post by 70sguardchick on Dec 28, 2021 9:13:05 GMT -6
Is that 1993 score for Carmel a typo?
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Post by jeremiah on Dec 28, 2021 9:28:45 GMT -6
Is that 1993 score for Carmel a typo? Definitely, but it was (and still is) published on the official recap. Carmel pulled out of the contest, but was left on the recap and received a -1 from each judge, including a penalty of -1. When you average the performance captions and add those negative scores, it's a total of -5, with a penalty of -1 actually improving their score to -4.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 28, 2021 11:47:54 GMT -6
The Mid 90s Success of a Tennessee Legend
I already have a few earlier posts on McGavock HS from Nashville, TN from their earlier BOA appearances. Under the direction of longtime director Jeff Beckman, this will showcase their mid 1990s success. To recap, in 1986, McGavock became the first band from Tennessee to make Grand National finals. They were a finalist each year from 1986 to 1990, except 1989 when they did not attend. In 1990, they became the first band from Tennessee to win a BOA regional title. McGavock was also a very successful band on the Tennesse circuits going all the way back to the 1970s. After finishing runner-up to Lafayette, KY at the coveted Middle Tennesse State University Contest of Champions several times in the early 1990s, McGavock picked up a few more MTSU Contest of Champion titles in 1997 and 1998. On the BOA front, McGavock was a regional finalist in 1991. The next BOA event they attended was Grand Nationals in 1993. They failed to make finals, but did finish in 15th place. Their next BOA appearance was at the BOA Atlanta Regional in 1995. They won the regional by beating the band that had been one of their chief rivals at the Contest of Champions, Lafayette, KY. This marked McGavock's second BOA regional title. They did not attend Grand Nationals in 1995. Their regional winning performance is online. Here it is:
Note: there are a couple of McGavock's 1995 contest of champions performance on line as well.
In 1996, McGavock won the BOA Atlanta regional for the second consecutive year, edging out Irmo HS, SC. This was McGavock's third and last BOA regional title. In fact, we would have to wait until 2011 and Father Ryan HS before another Tennessee band would claim another BOA regional. In 1996, McGavock did attend Grand Nationals and were a Semi Finalist at the very first BOA Semi Finals Compeition. Only the top 10 for finals were selected that year. Unfortunately, McGavock ended up in 12th place in Semis (Irmo was actually 11th). McGavock's 1996 show is actually my favorite of all of their 1990s shows. I think they also upped their game a bit for BOA compared to previous seasons. Here is their 1996 Grand National Semi Finals performance:
In 1997, McGavock attended two BOA regionals. They were considered a strong contender for the title at the very first BOA St Louis Regional. However, they ended up in second place behind a band by the name of Broken Arrow (perhaps you have heard of this band). They then attended BOA Atlanta. They had a strong 3rd place finish, behind Lassiter GA and a newcomer that rocketed up to the top by the name of Tarpon Springs FL. McGavock attended Grand Nationals again and easily made Semi Finals. This was the second and last year that only ten bands were selected for finals. McGavock edged into finals this time and ended up in 9th place in GN Finals. This was McGavock's 5th and sadly last GN Finals appearance. In fact, another Tennesse band would not appear in Grand National Finals again until 2016; Dobyns-Bennett. There are two videos of 1997 McGavock at Grand Nationals; however I don't think either one of them is from finals. The multi cam is from Prelims and believe the high cam version is from Semi Finals. Their show was music from Little Suite #2 Opus 78 by Malcolm Arnold. Here are both multi cam and hi cam versions.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Dec 30, 2021 11:24:02 GMT -6
Spirit Rising
Long before the merger that made the Marching Pride of Lawrence Township from Indianapolis, IN, there was the Lawrence North Regime and the Lawrence Central 'Spirit of Central'. In 1985, Lawrence Central made perhaps their first appearance at BOA, attending both the BOA Midwest Regional (which was actually held at their stadium) and Grand Nationals. The Sprit of Central was not quite ready for the big time on the BOA stage at that point. It was actually Lawrence North that found much success in the 1980s, and continuing into the 1990s. In the early 1990s, Randy Greenwell and Matt James took over the direction of Lawrence Central and within a few years transformed this band into a national calibur marching band program. The band rocketed toward the top of the Indiana Class A ciruit during the early/mid 1990s. In 1996, they returned to BOA competition. They made finals at the BOA Indy regional. Then they made finals at Grand Nationals, placing 6th. At the time, I had been familiar with Lawrence North, but the 1996 Grand Nationals was the first time I had seen Lawrence Central. I loved their 1996 show 'Legend of the Phoenix'. In fact, it is one of my favorite shows from Lawrence Central. I loved how unique the music was at the time (great percussion features) and I really loved the visual aspect of the show; great drill design and some wonderful guard moments. They even had a bassoon soloist. Hard for me to remember, but this may have been the first time I saw a bassoon solo in marching band. Now double reed instrument solos had been done all the way back into the 1980s; I had seen oboe solos in the 1980s. As more and more bands were expanding the use of microphones in the 1990s, oboe and bassoon solos and ensembles would become much more common. For me, Lawrence Central will also be among the bands that have exhibited some of the best marching over the years. That was actually showcased in their first Grand National finals appearnce here in 1996. There was a section of the performance were the band members altered their roll step a bit. It was unique and a little odd, but hey they all did it in sync. I will show both the multi can and hi cam version of this performance. The hi cam is good to see the wonderful drill throughout the show and the muti cam good for seeing some of their marching technique. I believe the hi cam is from prelims and the multi cam is from finals.
1996 Lawrence Central Hi Cam
1996 Lawrence Central Multi Cam
In 1997, Lawrence Central hit even bigger success as they claimed their first Indiana Class A State Title. They made finals again at the BOA Indy regional. At Grand Nationals, they easily made finals and again placed 6th place. Their 1997 show was Serge Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. While hard to tell from the hi cam version on line, I don't think they were quite as clean as their 1996 finals performance. However, they had a pretty strong overall general effect with their interpretation of this emotional music which helped propell them into the top six again. Lawrence Central skipped BOA in 1998 before returning in 1999. They became a BOA staple after that, making finals every year through 2013 (just before the merger with North) and picked up numerous BOA regional titles and two BOA Grand National Champion Titles. Here is the hi cam version of their performance. I think it is from Semi Finals.
1997 Lawrence Central
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 3, 2022 12:03:46 GMT -6
A Historic BOA Moment
I showed an earlier clip of the 1990 Carmel 'Greyhound' Marching Band from Carmel, IN. Carmel has had a competitive marching band for many decades. They rose the ranks in Indiana competition in the late 1980s, winning their first Indiana Class A State Title in 1990 (turns out it would be another 11 years before they would win their second). 1990 was also the year they first entered BOA competition. At the 1990 BOA Bloomington IN regional, they finished 2nd, just 0.05 points behind the champion Center Grove. Carmel had actually won prelims and the Class AAA title. Their success would wane a bit in the early 90s. They were still a finalist at both the 1991 and 1992 BOA Indy regionals. Thanks to an unfortunate bus accident, they missed their time slot at the 1993 BOA Indy regional. In 1994, they made their debut at Grand Nationals. They were not quite finals ready and finished 19th overall in prelims. In 1995, a second Grand Nationals appearance landed them in 18th place, still a ways off from finals. Then came 1996 and a much more intricate show design and stronger music performance. At the 1996 BOA Indy regional, they were runner-up to Lake Park. Then at Grand Nationals, they made finals for the very first time, finishing 7th place. Their show 'Matisse' would showcase the wonderful arranging/compositions of their legendary director Richard Saucedo. The visual designs were also very on par with mid 1990s trends. I really enjoyed their show and at the time I had no idea I was witnesses to the birth of one of BOA's most successful marching bands. Turns out Richard Saucedo was building a strong music program at Carmel. The community of Carmel, Indiana would also see rapid population growth in subsequent years, with Carmel High School experiencing ever increasing enrollment numbers. These factors and a the addition of a strong staff of directors and instructors (who continued to propel the program after Mr. Saucedo's retirement from teaching) has produced an incredibly successful marching band. Carmel has been a Grand National Finalist every year (minus Covid 2020 of course) since their 1996 finals debut. As of this writing, they have the second highest number of BOA regional titles, have the second highest number of BOA Grand National Finals appearances and have the second highest number of BOA Grand National Titles with five. I really see no reason why that within the next 10 to 15 years, Carmel will have the most regional wins, Grand National Finals appearances and perhaps even most overall Grand National Titles.
Carmel's level of success and expected future success is what makes their first Grand National Finals appearance so noteworthy from a historical perspective. Although I could not find their 1996 Grand National Finals performance on line, I did fine their 1996 Prelims (based on crowd size I am speculating Prelims as opposed to Semi Finals) performance. Here it is:
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Post by neop on Jan 3, 2022 21:33:23 GMT -6
Is that 1993 score for Carmel a typo? Definitely, but it was (and still is) published on the official recap. Carmel pulled out of the contest, but was left on the recap and received a -1 from each judge, including a penalty of -1. When you average the performance captions and add those negative scores, it's a total of -5, with a penalty of -1 actually improving their score to -4. This is my favorite BOA fun fact.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 15, 2022 9:34:29 GMT -6
Jazz - Kiski StyleI opted to post this after I wrote the 2021 Season Review as there are some comments that I made that relate to this post. In recent years I have commented on the extraordinary solos/duets/ensembles we have been hearing in BOA. Well of course there have been many awesome solos that go back decades into BOA history. I actuall credit jazz for bringing to life some of these soloists that just pour their heart into the music and really entertain us. Many of the amazing solos of today are still Jazz in style, but the genres of many of them have branched out way beyond jazz. Back in the 1970s and through much of the 1980s, prior to the theme shows taking over, marching bands played a serious of songs in their shows, usually unrelated and of different styles. In fact many of the standard show syles back in that era consisted of an overature, a ballad, a drum feature and a concert piece. The concert piece was an up tempo piece of music where the band (or corps in the DCI world) spent most of the song standing still. Many bands chose a jazz piece for this section. They often had a featured soloist or duet (usually a brass player(s) as microphones were not widely used at the time) during this piece. And in some instances, that soloist really cut loose. Of course old school DCI was really notable for some of these solos. High school marching bands also had some awesome solos/ensembles during their concert piece. Off the top of my head, I can think of Rocky Mount NC during their 1980s championship seasons and in giving a nod to my alma matter, Flushing MI in their 1980 and 1981 GN Finals shows. There were some high school marching bands that developed an all jazz repetoire that put to use some of their best musicians to give us some incredible solos. (Yes in DCI World the Blue Devils reigned supreme with the jazz). Centerville OH was among the earliest band programs to develop an all jazz format and made frequent use of crowd pleasing soloists; not just brass players but woodwinds too (obviously including saxophones). While Centerville became known as the jazz band, another band came along and also put forth some impressive shows based solely around jazz. That band was Kiski Area PA. I have already showcased some of their shows in previous posts on this thread. In this post, I am going to focus on two years; 1995 and 1996. After coming a close second to the GN title in 1994, Kiski did not attend Grand Nationals in 1995. This was the early years of the web and online forums. One of the frequent comments I saw the fall of 1995 is that a lot of people wished Kiski was going to national this year. Much of this was based off their performance at the BOA Eastern (Morgantown WV) Regional. They dominated that competition with their show 'Standard Time'. That show is not on YouTube. It is however on the website that has all of Kiski's videos. That site used to link to the YouTube page, but doesn't anymore. So you will have to watch that video on the website, not able to expand it. This performance was early October. I can only imagine how good that show would have been late season at Grand Nationals. I think the ending would have garnered a huge response from the audience. The big point of emphasis I wanted to make with this show was the soloists. In a way, they seemed to signal the types of amazing solos that would be forthcoming in futures years/decades in BOA. Here is the link. www.kiskiareabands.org/marching-band-videos.htmlIn 1996, Kiski did attend Grand Nationals. They ended up in third place in Finals with their Gershwin Show. George Gershwin composed a ton of music in his short lifespan. He actually did several jazz pieces, often infused with classical. In 1996, Kiski performed some of his jazz selections. The music was fantasitic and very entertaining. I am going to use this video to illustrate my other comment from from 2021 Season Review. I mentioned how I have had a bit of time wrapping my head around all of the visual changes in recent years, namely all of the various body motions, running, jumping, dancing, etc that are now a very big part of the visual routines in the marching band shows. In fact, some of you youngsters may hear some of us older folks make comments like "back in my day we marched" LOL. Now before anybody chimes in, I did watch a lot of horn cam footage of several practice sessions and have gained a new found appreciation for how much energy and coordination is involved in the visual routines of today. Even though there were bands in the 1990s that began experimenting with differennt ways in which the body can be used to create visual effect (Center Grove IN and Jackson Academy MS come to mind), most of the movement was done in the legs and feet. Usually the only movements done waist up was twisting to adjust your horn angle and raising and lowering your horns (sometimes durinig drum breaks bands would use arm movements to aid the visual). This video of 1996 Kiski (the 95 video illustrates it as well) showcases a standard visual routine in the 1990s; done without props. Now the opening of the show did have a little bit of freeform movement, but it was very subtle. Kiski had very good marching technique (although it is hard to see in this grainy hi cam video) and their execution of their drill was very clean; not just their drill sets but also their transitions into each drill set. The video I will post is I believe from Prelims. I think their finals performance was stronger. That video is embedded on the web page linked above.
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Post by neop on Jan 15, 2022 14:51:13 GMT -6
After coming a close second to the GN title in 1994, Kiski did not attend Grand Nationals in 1995. This was the early years of the web and online forums. One of the frequent comments I saw the fall of 1995 is that a lot of people wished Kiski was going to national this year. Much of this was based off their performance at the BOA Eastern (Morgantown WV) Regional. They dominated that competition with their show 'Standard Time'. That show is not on YouTube. It is however on the website that has all of Kiski's videos. That site used to link to the YouTube page, but doesn't anymore. So you will have to watch that video on the website, not able to expand it. Clicking on the title of the video inside that embed will bring you to the YouTube link. All of the videos are unlisted, but still accessible if you have the link (which is available on the Kiski website). Here are the 1995 and 1996 videos from their website.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 15, 2022 14:59:12 GMT -6
Thanks for the tip.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 20, 2022 5:45:08 GMT -6
Tying West Genesee For the NY State Title....A Band From Connecticut?
The New York State Field Band Conference is one of the longest competitive marching band circuits in the country, formed way back in 1972 (even older than me, WOW!). While most of the bands competing in the NYSFBC have of course been from New York, the circuit has allowed bands from neighboring states to participate. In fact, there have been several bands from Pennsylvania (mainly western PA) who participated. There have also been a few bands from Connnecticut and I believe New Jersey who participated. In the 1990s, one band in particular from outside of New York did quite well. In fact, they tied New York power West Genesee for the state title. That band was Norwalk HS, from Norwalk CT. So in fact, in 1997, a Connecticut band was co champion of the New York State Title. I have been unable to find Norwalk's 1997 NYSFBC performance on line. I did however find a video of their performance at the 1997 EMBA Championships (which I don't think exists anymore?) in West Haven, CT. Given that the NYSFBC Championships were early Nov., this video is likely earlier in the season. So I am sure their performance at NYSFBC was much cleaner (it would had to have been to tie West Genny). This post will feature that video. This was a show that I think would have done quite well in BOA had they attended. Assuming it would have cleaned nicely by early-mid November, who knows, it could have been in finals contention.
Reading the posts on the YouTube video, it sounds like 1997 was the last season for their director, so new direction in 1998. I also get the impression that 1997 may have been a bit of a Cinderella season for this band. Through 1997 Norwalk did not compete in BOA. In 1998, they started competing in BOA. They were a finalist at the 1998 BOA Hempstead NY regional. They would remain consistent finalists at the BOA northeast/mid atlantic regionals well into the 2000s. Their highest finish at a BOA regional was 2nd place when the competition was held in their back yard in Bridgeport CT (the only BOA regional held in Connecticut). In the early 2000s, Norwalk also made several appearances in Grand National Semi Finals. Their first trip to Grand Nationals and first Semi Finals appearance was I believe in 2000. They were not the first Connecticut band to attend Grand Nationals. I think the first appearance by a Connecticut band was back in 1982 or 1983 when Trumbull CT attended.
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Post by hewhowaits on Jan 20, 2022 9:53:56 GMT -6
formed way back in 1972 (even older than me, WOW!). You young whippersnapper!
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Post by srv1084 on Jan 20, 2022 9:53:57 GMT -6
Tying West Genesee For the NY State Title....A Band From Connecticut?The New York State Field Band Conference is one of the longest competitive marching band circuits in the country, formed way back in 1972 (even older than me, WOW!). While most of the bands competing in the NYSFBC have of course from New York, the circuit has allowed bands from neighboring states to participate. In fact, there have been several bands from Pennsylvania (mainly western PA) who participated. There have also been a few bands from Connnecticut and I believe New Jersey who participated. In the 1990s, one band in particular from outside of New York did quite well. In fact, they tied New York power West Genesee for the state title. That band was Norwalk HS, from Norwalk CT. So in fact, in 1997, a Connecticut band was co champion of the New York State Title. I have been unable to find Norwalk's 1997 NYSFBC performance on line. I did however find a video of their performance at the 1997 EMBA Championships (which I don't think exists anymore?) in West Haven, CT. Given that the NYSFBC Championships were early Nov., this video is likely earlier in the season. So I am sure their performance at NYSFBC was much cleaner (it would had to have been to tie West Genny). This post will feature that video. This was a show that I think would have done quite well in BOA had they attended. Assuming it would have cleaned nicely by early-mid November, who knows, it could have been in finals contention. Reading the posts on the YouTube video, it sounds like 1997 was the last season for their director, so new direction in 1998. I also get the impression that 1997 may have been a bit of a Cinderella season for this band. Through 1997 Norwalk did not compete in BOA. In 1998, they started competing in BOA. They were a finalist at the 1998 BOA Hempstead NY regional. They would remain consistent finalists at the BOA northeast/mid atlantic regionals well into the 2000s. Their highest finish at a BOA regional was 2nd place when the competition was held in their back yard in Bridgeport CT (the only BOA regional held in Connecticut). In the early 2000s, Norwalk also made several appearances in Grand National Semi Finals. Their first trip to Grand Nationals and first Semi Finals appearance was I believe in 2000. They were not the first Connecticut band to attend Grand Nationals. I think the first appearance by a Connecticut band was back in 1982 when Trumbull CT attended. Thank you for posting this. Did not expect to see a Norwalk featured here, but love seeing it. I remember watching their 1998 show live and thought they were terrific, but sadly that video and their rendition of Philip Sparke's Dance Movements has never been on the internet. With regards to EMBA, Norwalk was the circuit champion in the top division for well over 10 years dating back to the late 80s, and championships were typically held the first or second weekend in November (I performed in them from 1998-2000). The circuit disbanded due to some major political fallout in the early 2000s. The head of the circuit used to refer to himself as "Joe the Chief" and had such a huge ego that he drove everyone away. From the outside looking in, it seemed very much like a dictatorship where he treated the circuit like it was his own personal playground. As a result, the Musical Arts Conference was formed in 2001 and all the major players left. His lack of professionalism was evident to the entire public in the years that followed as he continued publicly trolling the new circuit and its leaders on the old RAMB forums for years to follow. Kind of disgusting to watch it all unfold, really. Unfortunately, the new circuit wasn't all it was hyped up to be and also disbanded a few years back. I believe Norwalk saw the writing on the wall in the mid-late 90s and started exploring in other circuits, and ultimately chose NYSFBC due to some major NY players having competed on a national level, and switched over to MAC for more local shows until MAC shut down. I believe Newtown followed in the early 2000s by competing in NYSFBC for a year before transitioning over to MAC. Any more info on Trumbull's 1982 Grand Nats appearance? I had no idea they attended and don't think there are any details of regionals or prelims from that year.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 20, 2022 12:17:40 GMT -6
Tying West Genesee For the NY State Title....A Band From Connecticut?The New York State Field Band Conference is one of the longest competitive marching band circuits in the country, formed way back in 1972 (even older than me, WOW!). While most of the bands competing in the NYSFBC have of course from New York, the circuit has allowed bands from neighboring states to participate. In fact, there have been several bands from Pennsylvania (mainly western PA) who participated. There have also been a few bands from Connnecticut and I believe New Jersey who participated. In the 1990s, one band in particular from outside of New York did quite well. In fact, they tied New York power West Genesee for the state title. That band was Norwalk HS, from Norwalk CT. So in fact, in 1997, a Connecticut band was co champion of the New York State Title. I have been unable to find Norwalk's 1997 NYSFBC performance on line. I did however find a video of their performance at the 1997 EMBA Championships (which I don't think exists anymore?) in West Haven, CT. Given that the NYSFBC Championships were early Nov., this video is likely earlier in the season. So I am sure their performance at NYSFBC was much cleaner (it would had to have been to tie West Genny). This post will feature that video. This was a show that I think would have done quite well in BOA had they attended. Assuming it would have cleaned nicely by early-mid November, who knows, it could have been in finals contention. Reading the posts on the YouTube video, it sounds like 1997 was the last season for their director, so new direction in 1998. I also get the impression that 1997 may have been a bit of a Cinderella season for this band. Through 1997 Norwalk did not compete in BOA. In 1998, they started competing in BOA. They were a finalist at the 1998 BOA Hempstead NY regional. They would remain consistent finalists at the BOA northeast/mid atlantic regionals well into the 2000s. Their highest finish at a BOA regional was 2nd place when the competition was held in their back yard in Bridgeport CT (the only BOA regional held in Connecticut). In the early 2000s, Norwalk also made several appearances in Grand National Semi Finals. Their first trip to Grand Nationals and first Semi Finals appearance was I believe in 2000. They were not the first Connecticut band to attend Grand Nationals. I think the first appearance by a Connecticut band was back in 1982 when Trumbull CT attended. Thank you for posting this. Did not expect to see a Norwalk featured here, but love seeing it. I remember watching their 1998 show live and thought they were terrific, but sadly that video and their rendition of Philip Sparke's Dance Movements has never been on the internet. With regards to EMBA, Norwalk was the circuit champion in the top division for well over 10 years dating back to the late 80s, and championships were typically held the first or second weekend in November (I performed in them from 1998-2000). The circuit disbanded due to some major political fallout in the early 2000s. The head of the circuit used to refer to himself as "Joe the Chief" and had such a huge ego that he drove everyone away. From the outside looking in, it seemed very much like a dictatorship where he treated the circuit like it was his own personal playground. As a result, the Musical Arts Conference was formed in 2001 and all the major players left. His lack of professionalism was evident to the entire public in the years that followed as he continued publicly trolling the new circuit and its leaders on the old RAMB forums for years to follow. Kind of disgusting to watch it all unfold, really. Unfortunately, the new circuit wasn't all it was hyped up to be and also disbanded a few years back. I believe Norwalk saw the writing on the wall in the mid-late 90s and started exploring in other circuits, and ultimately chose NYSFBC due to some major NY players having competed on a national level, and switched over to MAC for more local shows until MAC shut down. I believe Newtown followed in the early 2000s by competing in NYSFBC for a year before transitioning over to MAC. Any more info on Trumbull's 1982 Grand Nats appearance? I had no idea they attended and don't think there are any details of regionals or prelims from that year. Great historical info! Upon doing some digging, it was 1983 (not 82) when Trumbull attended Grand Nationals in Johnson City TN (I do not know if they attended in 81 or in 84 at Indy). I don't have recaps so I don't know what they placed (they did not make finals). Not sure if they attended a regional; probably not as there were fewer regionals back then. I just found a video of 83 Trumbull at the Orange Bowl. Perfect example of late 70s/early 80s era drill design; centered on an axis of symmetry. And yes the guard stole that move in Bottle Dance from Santa Clara Vanguard.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Jan 21, 2022 14:37:09 GMT -6
To Tell A Story
As theme shows gained traction, there began to be an obvious story behind many of these themes. I personally somewhat attribute that to the early theme shows that were based on Broadway musicals, where shows tried to depict the story line of the musical. During the course of the 1990s, some of the show themes became such that a story was being told and the music was selected/arranged and visual designs/props were chosen to accentuate or help tell that story line. In 1997, Plymouth-Canton Educational Park MI took the art of story telling to a level that no other band had quite done at that time. By the mid-late 1990s, amplified vocal narrations were nothing new; in fact several bands in 1997 utilized that techique in a way to enhance or tell a story. In PCEP's show 'Where the Wild Things Are", a vocal narrator read the story line during the course of the entire show. The vocal narration was very extensive, more than any other show I had heard at the time. Up front, there was also a small stage, where a character and a few guard were actually acting out the scenes as read by the narrator. Meanwhile, the band was performing almost as an accompanyment to the story teller. There were a few occasions where the band broke form a bit and helped act out the story; a concept that was starting to gain in popularity. This was a rather unique delivery of a show at the time and the style ended up becoming highly popular during the 2000s. This type of show, with extensive use of vocal narration in telling a story, became a bit polarizing. There were many who loved them and many who disliked them. To be honest, I am in the second camp. I always found these types of shows too distracting from the music, but that is just me. Setting my personal feelings aside, this was a very progressive/a little ahead of its time kind of show. It provides just another example of how much of an innovator PCEP was during the 1990s.
Now if you take away that small stage prop and all of the narration, this was actually a really good show. PCEP placed 5th in Grand National Finals with this show. David McGrath was now in his I believe third season with PCEP. Now throughout the 90s, PCEP had a very strong and talented staff. This season (and several seasons following this one), PCEP had Alan Spaeth as their design coordinator and guard instructor and Mitch Rogers as the drill designer (both of these two now work with Flower Mound). To me it seemed to mark a new era with PCEP, stronger music and very unique/innovative/entertaining visual presentations. In fact, the drill in this show is among my favorite high school drill designs of the 1990s. The drill and PCEP's execution of it had the visual effect judge in GN finals placing them first. In this show, PCEP went back to their yellow uniforms of the 80s/early 90s. I think it was a good choice given the guard outfits. The GN performance is on line (I think it is from Finals). I am glad it is high cam. However, the quality is not the best. There were sections in this show where the guard wore really light colored outfits. The poor quality of the video actually makes them look like ghosts in this video. But like I say, we take what we can get. So here is the story of "Where the Wild Things Are" as told by PCEP in 1997; a show that had some in the audience intriqued, some scratching their heads, and many more taking it all in as they watched and enjoyed.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 8, 2022 22:05:12 GMT -6
Churchill Enters the Texas Elite
In the early 1990s, Spring and Westfield were the two Texas bands at the top of of the BOA World, with Duncanville and Klein certain among the top echelon. However, during the 1990s, there began a notable rise among many other Texas bands; bands who would go on to have enoromous success in coming years. Just a few that come to mind that really began to show potential in the 1990s were LD Bell, The Woodlands, Richland and Leander. Another band was Winston Churchill from San Antonio. This band underwent a steady improvement in the early to mid 1990s. You could tell that this band took a lot of inspiration from Spring. Their first BOA competition was in 1994 at the brand new Alamodome; the San Antonio regional. Now back then, this was not anywhere near the level of competiveness of today, it was not even a super regional (this was 9 years before that concept was implemented). Winston Churchill made finals and finished 5th. The next year at BOA San Antonio, Winston Churchil again finished 5th in finals. The first video I am going to show says 1994/1995. It is from BOA San Antonio; I think it was 1994. Their show "The Phantom of the Opera" was very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s (Of course 88 and 89 Santa Clara Vanguard hit it out of the park with this show while on the BOA front noone compares to 88 George Rogers Clark). Anyway, here is the video. Yes there were a few rough spots here and there, but the point is that this band was on the rise.
BOA did not hold a regional in San Antonio in 1996. So Winston Churchill attended BOA Houston and finished 2nd behind Westfield and shocker, finished ahead of Spring. They performed "Candide" this season. The BOA regional is not online but a UIL Competition is. Note how much the band had improved and the better visual package.
The 1997 BOA Houston regional was a big event with Westfield and Spring in attendance as well as up and coming powerhouse bands like LD Bell, The Woodlands and Richland. However, it was actually Winston Churchill that won the regional, their first BOA regional title. Later in the season, Winston Churchill attended the second Texas regional held that season in Waco. They won and scored 96 points, which broke the high regional score at the time (I take that with a little grain of salt as many said the scores were a little inflated). It was after this 97 season, that word of this band named Winston Churchill really spread outside of Texas. Winston Churchill would attend their first BOA Grand Nationals in 1998, making finals (more on that in a later post). The video I am going to show is of their performance at 1997 BOA Waco. Their show was "Shostakovic Images" and it was awesome. There was a lot of talk about this show back in the day. I am glad it eventually got placed on YouTube. You will hear that Chuck made a little mistake; thought the show was done when it wasn't LOL.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 18, 2022 4:50:28 GMT -6
Another Historic BOA Moment
In 1997, during Grand National Semi Finals a band was performing that I had never heard of at the time. That band was "The Marching Black and Gold" from Avon HS, IN. At the time, this band was from a mid sized school (Class AA in BOA). This was Avon's first season competing in BOA Grand Nationals and second season competing in BOA (they participated in the 1996 BOA Indy regionals) . Earlier in the season, they had made finals at the Indiana Class B State Championships. They participated in the BOA Indy regional and this season and just missed finals, finishing 11th in Prelims, but were much higher than they placed in 1996 (they were 19th). I am sure that to the delight of this band, they managed to make Grand National Semi Finals, where they finished 24th. This band was under the direction of Jay Webb. Little did we know what Jay Webb and the Avon HS marching band was going to do in future seasons. To be honest, this band was not really on my radar at the time. Indiana of course is a state with a large depth in high quality marching bands, so at the time there were a lot of other Indiana bands that were taking center stage in BOA (Center Grove, Lawrence Central and Carmel were the big names at the time). Avon would make Semi Finals every year since this season. However, for many of us, this band did not really grab our attention until they made GN finals in 2001 (keep in mind the year before they were 26th in semi finals). In 2001, they were still a Class AA band. In 2002, they missed GN finals but did win the GN Class AA Title. Then came 2003, they jumped classes in BOA and ISSMA (winning the ISSMA Class A State Title). They easily made finals and the rest is history. As the school/band continued to grow over the 2000s, this band became a BOA Power and is now among the most successful bands to have ever competed in BOA.
In 1997, Avon made their BOA debut with Appalachian Spring. Here is that performance.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 20, 2022 5:02:32 GMT -6
They Came Out of Nowhere
Some bands have had a slow rise through the ranks of BOA and others have just seemed to start out strong as soon as they enter the circuit. This post is going to feature a band that took a lot of us by surprise at the 1997 Grand National Championships. That bands was Tarpon Springs HS, from Tarpon Springs, FL. Kevin Ford became director of the Tarpon Springs marching band in 1994. So the story goes (and any Tarpon alums out there can certainly elaborate), that when Mr. Ford took over as director, the band was nowhere near BOA ready; lacked discipline and not living up to their potential. Mr. Ford turned that around and in four short years brought this band to an elite level in the BOA Circuit. In 1996, Tarpon Springs participated in their first BOA competition, the BOA Atlanta regional. Not only did they make finals, they finished 3rd and won best music. In 1997, they again attended BOA Atlanta. This time they finished 2nd behind Lassiter and actually tied Lassiter for highest General Effect. Given Lassiter's success in the late 1990s, that was very impressive. Then later in the season, they attended their very first BOA Grand Nationals Competition. After their success at BOA Atlanta, they were of course favored to make finals, even though most of us had never seen this band before. They easily made finals and then finished an impressive 4th in finals, beating powerhouse bands like PCEP, Lawrence Central and Carmel. What a way to make a debut at Grand Nationals.
Their show was "A Musical Portrait of the Wild West", featuring of course some Copland. They had several props made to look like an old western town front (band members even used them as performance platforms at one point). They also had a covered wagon prop. I remember at the time thinking, wow look at all these props. Funny that looking back at this show today in comparison to more recent Tarpon shows and this one looks almost minimalist. 1997 was also long before Tarpon Springs became a magnet school for the performing arts (I don't even think the band was calling themselves an outdoor performance ensemble yet). What took me when I saw Tarpon for the first time was how small they were. I think I counted somewhere between 80 and 85 member total in this band, which would likely make them the smallest non-class A band to ever compete in Grand National Finals. While Tarpon got a little bigger in later seasons, throughout the 2000s they still had a total band size of less than 115 members, and did not march drums (they were in the pit). Of course around 2010, Tarpon Springs began to grow significantly, obviously helped by the school becoming a magnet for those students interested in the performing arts. Back in 1997, when I first saw Tarpon, I somewhat doubted their longevity. This was simply because during the late 1990s there were a lot of mid size school band programs (Class AA) that were finding it more difficult to compete with the ever growing number of strong large school band programs. Yes, of course there were a few notable exceptions. I still doubted how such a small band would stay at a Grand National Finals calibur level in light of the trends. Yes, I was wrong. For several years tiny Tarpon held their own with the much larger bands, and did extroardinarly well against them. Going back to their 1997 show, aside from the props, what really grabbed our attention with this band was how good they were, both musically and visually. They also had some very interesting visual designs, a trait that they would continue throughout their years of competiting with a relatively small band.
So here is the 1997 Tarpon Springs marching band at their very first Grand National Championships. The video is obviously not finals; not sure if it is Prelims or Semi Finals.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 22, 2022 6:20:39 GMT -6
Tchaikovsky Sketches
That was the title of Lake Park's show in 1997. This was the year that Lake Park entered Grand Nationals as the defending Grand National Champion. They ended up finishing in 3rd place in finals with this show, the music of Tchaikovsky. In many ways this was quientesential Lake Park; clean, controlled and understated. For me, I loved the music in this show and Mr. Snoeck did a brilliant arrangement of it. I loved all the musical touches to make this sound more like a wind symphony rather than a marching band. There were also some sections with very high degree of difficulty. The opening was very unique in that the band was not playing for nearly 30 seconds all while doing some pretty demanding drill moves. They made that look easy, which I am sure it was not. Lake Park took the caption for best visual performance in finals due to their prisine and clean marching technique. They were also second overall in music performance. The general effect scores are what cemented their third place finish. I tend to agree that this show could have been a little bit more impactful. I loved the ending, I just don't think they sold it as well as they could have. This year marked the 11th consecutive and last year that Lake Park landed in the top five in GN Finals. So here is the 1997 GN Finals performance of the Lake Park Lancers.
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50fly
Senior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by 50fly on Feb 22, 2022 9:52:19 GMT -6
Loved these mid to late 90s Lake Park shows. They have such a well balanced sound and one of the all time best woodwinds sections. Also Moulee Dutta ranks at the top of all time drum major names.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Feb 28, 2022 6:07:18 GMT -6
Ever the Visual Innovator
During the late 1990s, Center Grove HS from Greenwood, IN established themselved as one of those innovative bands that everyone wanted to see from year to year what they would do next. In 1997, Center Grove came to Grand National heavily favored to win the Grand National title. They had come away with two BOA Regional titles this year, including the BOA Indy regional where they beat both Marian Catholic and Lake Park. After Semi Finals, they picked up the Class AAA Title. They were actually second overall as Marian Catholic (the AA Champion) was first, but of course we did not know that when the class champion awards were handed out. Nonetheless, coming into finals Center Grove was very much a contender. In my opinion it became obvious Marian was going to take home the eagle. Center Grove, however, did deliver a strong show and ended up finishing in second place (the second year in a row they were runner-up to the title). 1997 Center Grove took on a different visual approach with their show "Concerto for Orchestra". The pit was spaced out around the edge of a semi circular tarp. This staging was very unique as was the way the visual designs wove into and outside of that semi circle. It was a very unique visual design and many (including myself) were quite captivated by it. The brightly colored color guard outfits with the matching flags also really popped and added to the visual interest; not to mention the guard was awesome. So here is the 1997 Center Grove GN performance. It is not finals, either prelims or semi finals. Finals was actually a stronger performance.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 1, 2022 12:32:30 GMT -6
A Trip to the Far East - Marian Style
1997 was a prime example of why back in the 1990s we always said never count Marian out at Grand Nationals. In other words, if Marian could deliver a clean show (which was no easy task given their difficulty) they would prove a hard band to beat. Two weeks prior to Grand Nationals, at the BOA Indy regional, Center Grove, IN place first over second place Marian Catholic by nearly two points. This was Center Grove's second BOA Regional title of the season and made them a heavy favorite for taking home the eagle coming into the 1997 Grand National Championships. After Semi Finals, Center Grove was crowned Class AAA Champion and swept the Class AAA highest achievement awards. Marian of course won Class AA but they did not sweep the AA Highest Achievement Awards as newcomer Tarpon Springs, FL picked up Music in AA. Most of us thought Center Grove had won Semi Finals. It turns out that Marian Catholic actually won semi finals, by a mere 0.05 points. Nonetheless, many still thought that Center Grove was going to win the GN Title as finals got underway. The three big contenders in finals were actually the last three to perform in finals (this was years before top six in semis were last to go in finals), with Marian Catholic up first, then Center Grove followed by Lake Park. I was stunned when Marian Catholic performed. While I thought all of those top three contenters did much better in finals than they had in Semi Finals, Marian performed as though they had packed an extra week of practice sessions between their Semi Finals performance and their Finals performance, at least that is my opinion. This was the opitome of peaking right when it counts.
Marian's show was titled "Images of the Orient". This was near the beginning of the era in which I consider the theme shows that told us a story. This was the first time that Marian used a vocal narrator. Although I was not big on that at the time, the narration in this show was subtle and used to introduce each segment of music. The music was fantastic as always. Marian always got a lot of kudos for their woodwinds and as usual, the woodwinds were incredible in this show. This show also had some extroardinary brass and percussion features, showcasing a lot of technical difficulty. The drill, as you will see, was filled with East Asian symbols. The video is the hi cam. On the multi cam version (not on line) you can see how extremely demanding this show was visually. There was a lot of quick and difficult drill transitions. This coupled with difficulty of the music left us in the audience amazed at how these kids were pulling this all off. The section in this show that depicted a war was absolutely amazing. You can hear the response from the audience after that segment concluded. I knew at that point that Center Grove (as good as they were) were not going to beat this. Following the fast and furrious war segment came the ballad. It featured a wonderful flute solo and an amazing oboe solo. The oboe soloist was actually one of the tener drums. I was so impressed that right after that insanely difficult war segment, he picked up that oboe and gave a beautiful soft and slow solo performance. The ballad as a whole was itself fantastic. It is a textbook example of how a marching band should play a ballad; with emotion and showcasing the musicians connection to the music. After the brilliant and slow ballad, then like a light switch, back to up tempo and complex music that gave a wonderful closer to this show. By the end of finals, every single music judge placed Marian first. This allowed them to win the music performance and general effect award and win their sixth Grand National title. They actually won by nearly a point over Center Grove.
This to me is another example of a Marian Catholic show that exemplifies why this band just simply can not be compared to other high school bands. I know in more recent years we have heard some absolutely incredible music performances by the top level BOA bands. The degree of difficulty in the Marian shows of this era are just on another level, at least that is my opion. So here is the 1997 Grand National Champion performance by Marian Catholic HS from Chicago Heights, IL. Yes, I wish the video quality was a little better.
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Post by dbalash on Mar 1, 2022 12:47:49 GMT -6
A Trip to the Far East - Marian Style1997 was a prime example of why back in the 1990s we always said never count Marian out at Grand Nationals. In other words, if Marian could deliver a clean show (which was no easy task given their difficulty) they would prove a hard band to beat. Two weeks prior to Grand Nationals, at the BOA Indy regional, Center Grove, IN place first over second place Marian Catholic by nearly two points. This was Center Grove's second BOA Regional title of the season and made them a heavy favorite for taking home the eagle coming into the 1997 Grand National Championships. After Semi Finals, Center Grove was crowned Class AAA Champion and swept the Class AAA highest achievement awards. Marian of course won Class AA but they did not sweep the AA Highest Achievement Awards as newcomer Tarpon Springs, FL picked up Music in AA. Most of us thought Center Grove had won Semi Finals. It turns out that Marian Catholic actually won semi finals, by a mere 0.05 points. Nonetheless, many still thought that Center Grove was going to win the GN Title as finals got underway. The three big contenders in finals were actually the last three to perform in finals (this was years before top six in semis were last to go in finals), with Marian Catholic up first, then Center Grove followed by Lake Park. I was stunned when Marian Catholic performed. While I thought all of those top three contenters did much better in finals than they had in Semi Finals, Marian performed as though they had packed an extra week of practice sessions between their Semi Finals performance and their Finals performance, at least that is my opinion. This was the opitome of peaking right when it counts. Marian's show was titled "Images of the Orient". This was near the beginning of the era in which I consider the theme shows that told us a story. This was the first time that Marian used a vocal narrator. Although I was not big on that at the time, the narration in this show was subtle and used to introduce each segment of music. The music was fantastic as always. Marian always got a lot of kudos for their woodwinds and as usual, the woodwinds were incredible in this show. This show also had some extroardinary brass and percussion features, showcasing a lot of technical difficulty. The drill, as you will see, was filled with East Asian symbols. The video is the hi cam. On the multi cam version (not on line) you can see how extremely demanding this show was visually. There was a lot of quick and difficult drill transitions. This coupled with difficulty of the music left us in the audience amazed at how these kids were pulling this all off. The section in this show that depicted a war was absolutely amazing. You can hear the response from the audience after that segment concluded. I knew at that point that Center Grove (as good as they were) were not going to beat this. Following the fast and furrious war segment came the ballad. It featured a wonderful flute solo and an amazing oboe solo. The oboe soloist was actually one of the tener drums. I was so impressed that right after that insanely difficult war segment, he picked up that oboe and gave a beautiful soft and slow solo performance. The ballad as a whole was itself fantastic. It is a textbook example of how a marching band should play a ballad; with emotion and showcasing the musicians connection to the music. After the brilliant and slow ballad, then like a light switch, back to up tempo and complex music that gave a wonderful closer to this show. By the end of finals, every single music judge placed Marian first. This allowed them to win the music performance and general effect award and win their sixth Grand National title. They actually won by nearly a point over Center Grove. This to me is another example of a Marian Catholic show that exemplifies why this band just simply can not be compared to other high school bands. I know in more recent years we have heard some absolutely incredible music performances by the top level BOA bands. The degree of difficulty in the Marian shows of this era are just on another level, at least that is my opion. So here is the 1997 Grand National Champion performance by Marian Catholic HS from Chicago Heights, IL. Lake Park wiped the floor with Marian in prelims (and of course, they were back to back in prelims and semis), with a 95.45 compared to Marian at 94.05. There's just something about Marian and GN Finals, always saving the best for last. This is probably the show of Marian that I would have enjoyed marching the most, with 2000 not far behind.
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Post by boahistorybuff on Mar 6, 2022 6:46:20 GMT -6
A Brief Yet Memorable Time at the Top
At the 1997 BOA Grand Nationals, I thought the Class A Title was going to be a battle between Bellbrook OH and Adair County KY. I was surprised when the band that took the title was Elizabethtown HS from Elizabethtown, KY. I think this may have been their first BOA Competition (don't confuse them with Elizabethton (no w) TN). Not only did Elizabethtown win the Class A title, they finished in the top 20 in semi finals (18th place). They also broke a bit of a Kentucky drought with respect to GN Class A titles as this was the first time a Kentucky band won the title since 1982. In fact, we would have to wait until 2005 for another Kentucky band to win the Class A title. On a tangent here, since 2005 a Kentucky band has won the GN Class A Title every year except 2012 and 2013.
Following their success in 1997, Elizabethtown participated in the 1998 BOA Cincinnati Regional where they were runner-up to the title and Class A Champion (they actually won prelims). At the 1998 BOA GN Nationals, they were runner-up to the Class A title behind Bellbrook. In following years, the band kind of slipped in placement during the rest of their BOA years. The late 1990s were certainly the glory years for this band. Here is their 1997 Grand National performance that allowed them to win the Class A title.
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